2025 Draft
Business Resource Guide
Ready to make the most of the biggest weekend of 2025? Here is your 2025 Draft Green Bay Business Resource Kit. In this kit, you will find information on what you can do to promote your business and welcome sports fans from all over the country. While the information here is specific to the Draft, we encourage you to keep this resource kit handy and apply it to all major events coming to the region — from concerts and holiday celebrations to annual events and gamedays. In 2023, the Green Bay Area welcomed over 6 million visitors. Don’t miss out on reaching similar visitor volumes in 2025 and beyond!
What is the Draft?
The Draft is a weekend-long event where all 32 teams in the league have the opportunity to add some of the most talented and promising prospects to their roster. A team’s draft pick is in reverse correlation with their previous season’s success, so the Green Bay Packers pick will be determined by where they finish in the 2024-25 NFL Season. The event is FREE to the public. Those who can’t attend in person can keep tabs on all of the information through the NFL OnePass app. Green Bay Packers fans and visitors can watch the Draft on the Lambeau Field Campus, enjoy activations in Titletown and take part in local business community celebrations. That’s where you come in.
Draft dates and times*
Day 1 | Thursday, April 24
Campus Hours: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. (end of Draft)
First Round Begins: 7 p.m.
Day 2 | Friday, April 25
Campus Hours: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. (end of Draft)
Second & Third Rounds Begin: 6 p.m.
Day 3 | Saturday, April 26
Campus Hours: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (end of Draft)
Fourth - Seventh Rounds Begin: 12 p.m.
*Times subject to change
Resources: The Do's and Don'ts for the Draft Verbiage
We encourage you to make the most of the weekend traffic with visitors coming to the Green Bay Area for the Draft. With that said, here are a few ground rules.
Do
- Offer football themed specials.
- Run special promotions and deals.
- Host events like parties, football-themed trivia, bar games, etc.
- Take advantage of advertising opportunities and experiences with Discover Green Bay or your local DMO.
Don't
- Use the “NFL Draft,” NFL or any professional NFL team logos and verbiage in any of your promotions, print materials or social media posts. This is a time to let your unique brand shine. General sports, fan and footballthemed imagery is fine, but do not use anything that you do not own the copyright to or have permission to use.
- Imply that your event, deal or offer is endorsed, sponsored, hosted or affiliated with the NFL.
Maximize Social Media Channels
What channels
We recommend focusing on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) for Draft posts.
If you’re comfortable creating and posting video content, we recommend utilizing TikTok and YouTube Shorts as well.
Post content/topics
In preparation for the Draft, it’s a great idea to brainstorm how to promote the activations and unique opportunities your business will have leading up to and during the Draft. Some fun ideas we’ve seen businesses consider include themed drinks, foods and parties. We also recommend increasing the promotion of your normal products, experiences, events, etc. — as all eyes will be on Green Bay.
Post ideas
- Single photo posts (Instagram, X and Facebook).
- Photo carousels (Instagram and TikTok).
- 15-30 second videos (Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube Shorts).
- 30-60 second videos with voiceover (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts).
When to post
- We recommend promoting your business and Draft activations as early as possible before the Draft and creating posts in the days leading up to and during April 24-26. We recommend posting earlier in the morning (8-11 a.m.) or later in the evening (5-8 p.m.) when users are most active.
- Consider posting 1-2 times a week in March, every day during April leading up to the Draft, and 2-3 times per day during the Draft on April 24-26.
Post orientations and sizing
- We recommend 4:5 photos and 9:16 videos across all platforms for aspect ratio.
- Make sure photos are not pixelated or grainy — a minimum of 1,000 pixels is recommended.
Helpful tips
- Video content captured on an iPhone is recommended (social media algorithms prefer content shot on an iPhone).
- Focus on photos/videos featuring fans enjoying your business and your themed Draft offerings.
- Like and reply to every comment you receive on your platforms.
- Make sure you’re following the social media pages for the NFL, Discover Green Bay, the Green Bay Packers, and all local municipalities.
- Tag the location of your business in your Instagram posts.
- Utilize the story feature on Instagram to further promote your content.
- With video posts, consider using trending audio.
Profile tips
- Be sure to update the bio information in your social media profiles to include updated hours and an updated link to your website.
- Be sure to upload a high-quality profile picture of your business logo.
- Be sure to check your account analytics for insights into your audience breakdown.
Fun engagement ideas
- Do an Instagram or TikTok livestream (Guides for TikTok and Instagram).
- Consider doing a giveaway on your platforms to promote excitement/engagement.
- Utilize the Instagram story highlight feature to save your stories in fun groups.
Hashtags
- Use the hashtag #DraftGB, #PedalToTheDraft and #LoveGB on your posts.
TIP: Change your logo to the Packers’ Green and Gold
TIP: Use a service like LinkTree to include multiple links in your profile bios.
Get your website draft ready
Landing page with offer/event details
One of the most important things you can do before the Draft, or any event, is to ensure your website is updated. This includes having a current calendar of special events you are hosting, a listing of current menus, and, most importantly, accurate and up-to-date hours and contact information. You should also include links to your social media handles on your website.
Update your Google Business Profile to make sure your hours, address, phone number and website are up to date. For many visitors, this is the first place they go to get information. It is essential that what’s listed here is accurate. You can learn how to make edits here.
Newsletter/special email - stay in contact
If you have an email newsletter, this is a great way to spread awareness about any specials or events you’ll be having. Be sure to include photos and a call-to-action to capture the reader’s attention. If you don’t have an email newsletter, this is a great time to start. You can send free emails with programs like Mailchimp, Constant Contact and Brevo.
What Draft Fans Like
What are fans looking for?
Aside from their obvious love and enthusiasm for the game, fans in town will be excited about coming together with other fan bases to celebrate the promising prospects. They might be looking for stadium-style food, celebratory drinks, football merchandise or interactive fan experiences.
More than anything else, a football fan loves their team. Fans from teams all across the country will be in town and they’ll be looking for a place to congregate. Consider making your spot the official hub for another team in the league. For example, you could make your establishment THE go-to spot for Eagles fans during Draft weekend. Coordinate with your neighbors and gamify your theme. Who can bring the most visitors into this home-away from-home in Green Bay
How do you find your sweet spot?
This is your time to lean into your niche. Are you known for your amazing curds? Make that your weekend deal with a special discount and a fun temporary menu name change to fit with the weekend’s theme.
What if your business doesn’t appeal to the typical sports fan?
That is okay. There are two ways to approach this week. First, not every business is ideally suited to the audience interested in the Draft. This could be a good week to work with your existing customer base to offer them an escape from the football festival.
Conversely, you could lean in and get creative with your offerings to attract family and friends of the fanatic committed to watching every moment of the Draft. This might look like a wine tasting, DIY craft workshop, ladies’ night shopping specials or a cooking demonstration.
How to take advantage when you’re an hour from Green Bay?
Yes, the Draft is happening in and around Lambeau Field and Titletown, but benefits will be felt throughout Wisconsin. While the number of patrons might not be as large as at the Draft Site, bars and restaurants should still consider all of the same promotions. This includes everything from themed parties at bars and restaurants to shopping events at local boutiques. The most important thing will be to promote your offerings on your website, social media, and with Discover Green Bay.
Promotion Resources
Advertise on Discover Green Bay
Greenbay.com assists over 500,000 highly qualified visitors in planning travel and activities during their vacation. Sponsored content is blended seamlessly into the look and feel of our website, maximizing performance and your ad spend. These rich content promotions allow you to form a deeper connection with potential customers before, during and after their vacation.
Promotion resources fan welcome signage
Discover Green Bay will be providing “Welcome to Green Bay” window signage and buttons to Discover Green Bay partner hotels and restaurants. This is a great way to ensure that your decor to welcome visitors doesn’t infringe on any logos you are not permitted to use.
Discover Green Bay fan experiences
Discover Green Bay will be promoting local offers and events exclusively for Draft weekend on our website. Craft your experience by taking what you’ve learned from this business resource kit and using it to create a deal, discount or event that is tailored to your business. A link to these experiences will be sent to over thousands of subscribers who opted in to receive our Draft updates.
Helpful Resources
There are many local resources for you to tap into if you need more help getting your marketing plan ready for the Draft. Please consider any of the following for additional assistance, based on what is relevant to your location/business type.
